I’ve been having an extended conversation via PM with controversial new poster Gig3000, and while I think she herself realizes she didn’t give an ideal first impression, she does have some real and important questions that deserve answers. For all us committed urbanists, I think we need to make an extra effort to be supportive of anyone who is contemplating leaving the suburbs for the city, at whatever age, and for whatever reasons.

One of Gig’s main questions is what expectations should someone who has never lived in a city before have about making the move, and what advice should they be given.

Since I’ve never lived in a non-urban area, I don’t necessarily have a whole lot to contribute. I’ve given the general advice of keeping an open mind, being flexible, and also being smart and aware about your surroundings, and which parts of the neighborhood are safe and which are not. But maybe some people on here have made the transition from suburbs to city life and have more to offer.

Having done it myself I think you guys hit the big ones. I put an alarm system in the house, went with Alarm Force at $30 a month and have been very happy. By no means a solution but does provide a bit of peace of mind. They run a wireless system which can be installed in apartments/condos.

Not trying to be argumentative or anything, but shouldn’t this advice be pretty universal, whether you live in the city or the suburbs? Maybe you can get away with not owning an alarm system, but I don’t think I’d recommend anyone not locking their doors anywhere, or expecting police to arrive in time to stop a break-in in progress.

Walker said:
Not trying to be argumentative or anything, but shouldn’t this advice be pretty universal, whether you live in the city or the suburbs? Maybe you can get away with not owning an alarm system, but I don’t think I’d recommend anyone not locking their doors anywhere, or expecting police to arrive in time to stop a break-in in progress.

For more rural areas it’s a given that help is a long time coming.

Suburban… not so much. Hell, some suburbs a routine traffic stop is 2 – 3 cruisers. Call the police in those areas and five minutes later it’s a party.

Last time the cops were called on our our street was when a neighbor’s car was being broken into, and the cops were there in less than 5 minutes to catch the guy. He was making the world’s slowest getaway ever.

Don’t take safety for granted would be my best advice. I’m not a big home alarm person, and I don’t think our cat would appreciate a dog, but I’m sure to lock all my doors (even the screens) and ground floor windows at night. I try to know my neighbors, or at least patterns in the neighborhood, so I notice if there is something suspicious going on. Most urban areas also have Block Watch groups, and even if you aren’t directly involved I’d try to keep up with meeting minutes or Facebook announcements. Conversely, I think several neighborhoods also have a police liaison, so you may want to identify them, and have their contact info handy for questions or concerns.
I’d also say, trust your instincts, if a stranger knocks and they seem shady/the lights out make the street a little too dark, you’re probably right, and better to be safe than sorry.

I think you have to keep your guard up a bit. There are things you have to watch for. I had my apartment broken into several years ago. It was preceded by a stranger knocking on my door and asking if “Tom” still lived there. It was odd as he was clearly checking out my living room as I told him no and he asked a couple of other rambling questions. Sure enough, one week later my place was robbed.

I just avoid opening my home to strangers as much as possible and keep everything valuable away from view of the doorway and keep blinds drawn on low windows. I guess this can happen anywhere, but the density of the city and the amount of people with no work and a lot of time on their hands seem to exacerbate it.